Justice News

New Orleans Woman Sentenced to 15 Months for Theft of Social Security Funds

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that LAVERNE ROSE, age 69, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information for theft of government funds.

U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt sentenced ROSE to 15 months incarceration, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. ROSE was also ordered to pay full restitution.

According to court documents, ROSE admitted that she stole $282,400 from the Social Security Administration over the course of 23 years. ROSE jointly held a bank account with her father, who died in 1990. Unaware of ROSE’S father’s death, the Social Security Administration continued wiring retirement benefits for him to the account. ROSE received and spent the benefits until 2014, when the Social Security Administration learned that ROSE’S father had died. ROSE admitted that she knew the payments should have ceased and that they did not belong to her.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon was in charge of this prosecution.